PJBoosinger

We see it all the time in allegations of animal abuse. The animals were in "deplorable conditions" and it was "FILTHY" and the animals are just "infested" with... (you name it, they've got it all). And every time I see it, my response is: Yeah, AND??? So what? Are the animals reasonably healthy? The inference is that they aren't but one can rarely tell that from appearances alone and tests take time but they are standing there making these allegations minutes after arriving "at the scene" so they don't know diddly shit yet except about appearances and appearances don't mean squat!

The reality is we are all living in "squalor" and merely maintaining appearances to the contrary.  Every study that comes out about the filth in our offices and homes proves it just as this latest one does:

Researchers looked at bacteria levels on chairs, phones, desktops, computer mice and keyboards from 90 randomly selected offices in New York City, San Francisco and Tucson. Through swab tests, the researchers identified 549 different kinds of bacteria in these offices, most of which came from human skin from the nose, mouth or intestinal cavities.  "We also found a surprising number of bacterial genera associated with the human digestive tract," the researchers, led by Dr. Scott T. Kelley, an associate professor of biology at San Diego State University, wrote in the study... all surfaces were contaminated.

From the "human digestive tract"?  Yep, meaning from human PUKE, PISS, or CRAP.

But as gross as intestinal bacteria may sound, the researchers said most people who spend all day in an office won't become sick from it unless they have a severely weakened immune system.

Got that? The mere presence of GROSS isn't a problem except for those with weakened immune systems.  Think you can tell which humans or animals have weakened immune systems?  Sure, sometimes one can... SOMETIMES.  But that would be the exception, not the rule.  Status of an immune system takes TESTS which take TIME.

Kelley told the New York Times that people should not be worried by his study's findings, but rather it's a glimpse into our working surroundings.  "It's a baseline of what a healthy, normal situation is like," Kelley said. "These were just regular office buildings, where we have no evidence that people are getting sick. But if we do have a sick building, we can now look at what's going on there."

Where is the baseline of what's healthy for dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, or other animals seized?  THAT should be the basis for comparison for animals that are seized and I have yet to see a single case where such a comparison was made!

The animals were wallowing in their own crap!  Yeah, AND???  Apparently so is every person working in an office!  Many animals (as well as humans) like to go roll in the dirt and come back stinking to high heaven.  As a social requirement, we expect humans to clean up regularly.  However, the mere presence of filth and stink if humans chose not to do so would not inherently be indicative of health problems.  Even if they are filthier than the baseline, it's indicative of NOTHING!

Next time you see an animal seizure case with flaming generalized allegations of "FILTH", please respond with: Yeah, AND??? What's the environmental baseline and how did their environment compare based on scientific tests?  What's the health baseline and how did these animals compare to that baseline?  What precisely were the animals "infested" with and how heavy was the load and what did it take to treat the "infestation"?  Are infestations normal and requiring periodic eradication?  Did it require more than the norm to treat these animals?  Or normal and requiring no treatment at all?

If we're going to permanently deprive someone of their rights to their property, their animals, shouldn't we at least expect some objective scientific tests?  I certainly think that's not too much to ask before stripping someone of a fundamental property right!

Studies of office building air have detected as many as 10⁶ bacteria per cubic meter [2], and the constant influx of microbes brought in with office workers likely makes for a dynamic microbial environment [3]. Human skin, as well as oral and nasal cavities, harbor trillions of microorganisms that may be shed and accumulate in offices [4]–[6]. Microbes from soils or other environments can also be vectored by office workers or be carried on dust particles from the outdoor air [7]. Moreover, indoor office buildings offer unique chemical environments not encountered in the natural world that may enrich for particular microbes [8].

"Men’s offices have more bacteria than women’s offices."  Gee REALLY?  Oh, come on, nobody's surprised! Right?  Now, given that most animals haven't learned how to turn on the faucet and take a bath and even the ones who can might still use their tongues to clean their "privates" it sure shouldn't be a surprise that animal areas might have more bacteria than offices.  Yeah, AND???